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Rapping grandmas prove that 'music and groove have no age'

Published: 14 Oct. 2025, 14:03 Updated: 14 Oct. 2025, 15:22

Members of Suni and the Seven Princesses pose ahead of their audition for “Show Me the Money 12.” [CHILGOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT]

With an average age of 85, these grandmas from rural Korea are ready to drop bars and show some elderly game on national TV.

A group of elderly women from Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang has applied to appear on the hip-hop audition program “Show Me the Money 12,” which is set to air in 2026 on Mnet.

The rap group Suni and the Seven Princesses, formed by local grandmothers who learned to read and write Hangul later in life, submitted their application for the upcoming season of the show, according to Chilgok County officials on Sunday.

The grandmothers were inspired to apply after seeing a recruitment ad for the show on TV at their local senior center. Kim Tae-hee, 81, who spotted the ad, reportedly said, “Why don’t we give it a try?” and the group decided on the spot to apply.

Since applying, they’ve resumed rap practice — paused during the summer heat — to prepare for the audition. Their performance will be a medley titled “If We’re Not in It, It’s Not Rap,” composed of rap adaptations of poems they wrote themselves.

Park Jeom-soon, 84, the group’s leader, said, “I don’t really know what an audition entails, but trying something new is exciting. Music and groove have no age. I’m confident we’ll stand our ground on stage among younger contestants.”

Another member, Lee Pil-seon, 88, joked, “I was wondering whether I should bring a herbal calming pill in case I get nervous on stage.”

Members of Suni and the Seven Princesses pose ahead of their audition for “Show Me the Money 12.” [CHILGOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT]

The group also has a strong supporter. Sleepy, a rapper who appeared on “Show Me the Money 6” in 2017 and has worked with Suni and the Seven Princesses as a promotional ambassador, gifted them the cap he wore on the show and encouraged them by saying, “Regardless of the outcome, your passion already makes you winners.” The grandmothers plan to wear that very cap on stage.

Suni and the Seven Princesses was formed in August 2023 by eight women in Jicheon-myeon, Chilgok County. Since then, the group has made multiple TV appearances and performed in advertisements and public campaigns, earning international media attention and the nickname “K-grandmothers.”

Their lyrics, based on poems that reflect the joys and sorrows of their lives, have gained national interest, and the group now boasts a fan club with over 150 members. They’ve performed at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul and appeared in promotional videos for government campaigns, including those by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

Members of Suni and the Seven Princesses pose ahead of their audition for “Show Me the Money 12.” [CHILGOK COUNTY GOVERNMENT]

Joining the competition this year is their local rival group, Big Sisters of the Kitchen Garden, who also hail from Chilgok County. Although they lost to Suni and the Seven Princesses in Korea’s first-ever grandmother rap battle “Show Me the Granny,” held during the 2024 Jjeom-O Festival, they are hoping for a rematch victory this time.

“Their participation goes beyond entertainment,” said Chilgok County Governor Kim Jae-uk. “It symbolizes Chilgok’s cultural vibrancy and the unyielding spirit of our senior citizens. The fact that women in their 80s are knocking on the doors of a hip-hop stage will surely inspire people across the country.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JUNG-SEOK [[email protected]]